Aces of Emmeria
by Han Shoots First
Summary: War has come to the Continent of Anea and Emmeria is not doing good, follow the legendary Garuda Squadron through trials as they try to single-handedly turn the tide of a war.
1. Prologue & Invasion of Gracemeria

**Alright guys, so this has written itself and I know I haven't done anything in a, long...long time, but I wanted to post it and let you guys know about other stuff going on, I am hopefully recovering my muse but towards the end of this month I am leaving for boot camp and will be totally of grid for 8 weeks, then after that I really don't know when I will have time for writing, but I want to get as much of this done as soon as I can for you guys. Thanks, HanShootsFirst**

* * *

Prologue: When Will You Pick Yourself Up?

"Whah do yeh do wiff a drunnen sailor, whah do yeh do wiff a drunnen sailor earry in teh mor-"

The drunken mans' voice disappeared only to be followed by a thud and a groan. A short man with pale skin and red hair stood over him unsympathetically, "Don't you have a family to take care of you drunken fool?"

The drunkard struggled to his feet and laughed his smile mostly hidden behind his unshaven face, "An' whooo ish tha-"

The small man punched the drunkard in his face causing him to fall to the floor again. The bartender simply ignored the exchange, it was a regular occurrence, the two men routinely went through this. He remembered something about them being brothers, but he couldn't say for sure.

"How about your wife and daughter for starters!" The man yelled.

"Ahhh ffffffuck you!" the drunk spouted loudly enough for the few attendees of the bar to turn their heads, "Whah will eh take teh geh yeh teh lea meh en peash?"

The redheaded man sighed and shook his head looking at the ground where the man layed, "Stop stringing us out, if you don't want to be part of your own family then divorce your wife and leave the country, none of us can stand to see you like this… and I'm tired of saving your ass."

The drunk remained silent on the ground no one around able to see the few tears getting soaked up into his beard.

* * *

Chapter I: Invasion of Gracemeria

The high-pitched Doppler sound echoed through Gracemeria Air Force Base as men scrambled to get in the air. A pilot in his late 20's ran across the field and jumped into his F-16 Fighting Falcon with his wife's name painted in red cursive letters with an angel dancing next to it, "Melissa" it read.

The turbine began to spool up and the Pilot quickly began to taxi, frantic voices yelled over the radio in chaos as people tried to get situation reports. The Falcon reached the runway and the control tower came over the radio, "Garuda 1, you are cleared for takeoff."

"Roger that tower Garuda 1 taking off," the Falcon's single engine went from a whine to a roar as the throttle was advanced to full emergency power.

As the wheels lifted off the ground the flaps and gear retracted and AWACS Ghost Eye came over the radio, "Airborne Warning and Control System Ghost Eye to all scrambling aircraft, current situation is still unknown, engage incoming enemy aircraft while we figure out what's going on here."

Garuda 1 was about to find an attack run he could take when Ghost Eye came over the radio again, "Garuda 1, you do not have a wingman, let's see… Shamrock? Shamrock are you alone too? From now on you are Garuda 2."

A young voice came over the radio, "Roger that, Garuda 1 I've got your back, why don't we wait for introductions until after we've protected our capital?"

Garuda 1 chuckled, "Sounds like a plan, follow my lead and we will make it through this just fine."

"Roger that," Shamrock replied and they both banked to the left and dove onto a squadron of B-52's.

"Shamrock, switch to your AMRAAMs and lock up the two closest bombers," Talisman adjusted his Falcon and locked up the furthest bombers.

"Targets locked," Shamrock quickly replied as the bombers continued to get closer.

Garuda 1 checked his radar again, "Launch AMRAAM's" both Falcons jerked slightly as they released two AMRAAM's each and watched the missiles track to the targets. As the missiles reached the target a massive explosion ripped through the air, "Looks like they'd just armed their payload huh Garuda 1?"

The man glanced back and lined up some helicopters with his guns taking both out with a single pass, "Sure looked like it," he responded after his run.

"Garuda 1 this is Ghost Eye, South Eastern part of the city is clear of bomber formations, redirect to," there was a slight pause, "Redirect to the northern edge of the bay and take out the bomber formation there as well."

"Roger that Ghost Eye, how are our other guys holding up out there?" Garuda 1 asked as they puled into a gentle left turn and began to repeat the first attack run.

"We are driving back the enemy forces, several planes are engaged over Gracemeria Base but they have eliminated all of the bombers, those are the last ones we have left take them out and we can push them out of our city."

Shamrock came over the radio as they launched the las of their AMRAAMs, "Sounds like they weren't ready to start a war after all, Ghost Eye, who are we fighting anyway?"

Ghost Eye didn't respond immediately, "We are engaged with the… Estovakian Military?" he almost didn't believe it was true, "All bombers down! Let's push them out of our city!" There were cheers and pilots all formed up on each other preparing to make the last push when it happened.

It seemed like the air itself exploded, "What the hell was that?" Garuda 1 exclaimed through gritted teeth as he pulled a hard turn to avoid the explosion.

There was pure chaos, "Cruise missiles? Were those Cruise Missiles?"

Garuda team leveled out and Ghost Eye came over the radio, "All forces retreat! We are at a huge military disadvantage here!"

Shamrock couldn't believe his ears, "What? We can't give up Gracemeria!?"

Ghost Eye quickly responded, "Listen, it's only temporary, we will retreat to the west regroup then form a counter attack."

Shamrock thought for a second, "Guess we really should get out of here," he said sadly.

Just then Garuda 1's radar warning lit up, "Break!" he yelled, time seemed to slow as he pulled nine G's and saw an enemy SU-33 appear in front of his canopy.

There was an explosion behind Garuda 1 and everything went black. His Falcon spiraled out of control and struck the black and red SU-33 just behind the canopy, killing Garuda 1.

"Ghost Eye! Garuda 1 is down!" Shamrock yelled over the radio, "I repeat, Garuda 1 is down!"

"Dammit!" Ghost Eye exclaimed, "Shamrock, get out of there! It's no use if you're dead too!"

Shamrock gunned the throttle and accelerated away from the battlefield. "Keep headed west Shamrock, we will be back soon."


	2. Turning Things Around

Chapter 2: Turning Things Around

The bearded man stood in front of the grave his long hair nearly covering his eyes, "What should I do dad?" he asked surprisingly sober. "I love them both but... after what happened..." he trailed off and sighed looking into the sky "Dammit."

He heard someone walking up behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see a relatively average man approaching the same grave, he had a single flower in his hands and set it at the grave next to the one he was talking to, he knew who was buried there, "How do you know him?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

The new man looked at him and shrugged, "I really don't, I... signed up for a war a while back and he kept me from getting myself killed... you knew him?"

"Yeah, I knew him, when he was around anyway," he raked his fingers through his hair to move it out of his face revealing a middle aged face of a man in his late twenties or early thirties, "Well... nice meeting you, but I got to go."

The men parted ways and the bearded man walked up the hill only to see a man standing by his car, "Shit," he immediately recognized the dark face of the man, "What do you want 'Schnee'?" he said using his old nickname for the man.

The man chuckled and his deep laugh filled the air, "You never liked calling me by my name, I heard you were leaving the country?"

"Ugh, where'd you here that? You know military intelligence is notoriously bad these days."

"I suppose it is, but you know damn well that the military didn't give me that tidbit. They did give me something you might be interested in though, it'll get you back on your feet, maybe set your mind right."

"And what might that be?" the man said clearly frustrated.

"Estovakia invaded Emmeria..." The darker man said gently, "Completely pushed them off the continent, they're retreating to Khesed Island as we speak."

The man straightened up, "I have some conditions you know..."

"I'm sure you do, I'll see what I can work with..."

* * *

The Emmerian Ambassador sat in the office of the Upper Rear Admiral, "We need Osea's help... desperately..."

"I understand that Ambassador but we cannot support you officially, we just got out of a major war not more than six years ago."

"We need something dammit!" the Ambassador exclaimed, it was not directed at the Admiral and he knew that.

"I'll tell you what Ambassador, I have one option but it's rather... unorthodox..."

"We will take anything we can get, the situation is desperate," the ambassador took his hat off and sighed, "maybe unorthodox is good."

"I have an old buddy, a pilot, he is willing to assist you, but he has some, unusual requests, he wants unlimited alcohol rations... and wants to be exempt from several military standards, I would recommend hiring him on as a mercenary."

The ambassador scoffed, "Emmeria has never and never will hire mercenaries," the Emmerians had a long proud history of only winning war without mercenary forces going all the way back to the Golden King's era.

"I figured you were saying that, I was going through these reports you sent me, Garuda 1, he was shot down over Gracemeria... Perhaps some paperwork could get mixed up? Suppose he wasn't actually shot down he managed to escape alllll the way to Vitoze, as far as the Emmerian public is concerned, he's a member of the military."

The ambassador looked at the Admiral, "That, may work for us," he clearly wasn't happy but he did shake the Rear Admiral's hand, "Thank you Admiral."

* * *

The lights were out in the small apartment as the smell of alcohol hit the woman's nose, "Ugh, I can't believe he's been reduced to this."

She walked through the threshold and looked at him laying on the floor with an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor of the apartment. She had papers tucked under her arm as she began to clean up, she truly loved the man that lay on the floor drunk and knew there was still the good man she fell in love with. He had been through a lot in his life and eventually he snapped. She didn't blame him for snapping, but she did blame him for how he reacted. She heard a groan but didn't stop cleaning the room, she couldn't stand to see him live in such filth. "Why are you here?" he asked getting up and holding his head as he walked to the fridge and opened a beer bottle.

She quickly grabbed the bottle from his hands and threw it in the trash, "You know damn well not to do that shit around me dammit."

"Fine, why are you here? Are the papers signed?"

"No, and I refuse to sign them, I know you're leaving for Anea tonight, and I've made a decision. If you come back from Anea and you're still this way then I will sign them no problem. If you don't come back at all... we will hold your funeral as your family, and if you come back, like you used to be? Then I expect you to move back in and help raise your daughter."

She crossed her arms and he looked at her, "You always were so beautiful when you were angry with me, I'll agree."

She sighed and set the papers on the table, "Good luck, remember who you are," then she walked out closing the door behind her.

* * *

The Emmerian military marched slowly towards the city of Vitoze and Shamrock's F-16 flew over all of them, "What is happening to us?" he sighed.

"Shamrock this is AWACS Ghost Eye," the voice crackled over the radio.

"Go ahead Ghost Eye," Shamrock responded.

"I was told to relay a message to you, Command wants you to land at Vitoze and meet your new squadron leader, some new guy special case."

"Roger that Ghost Eye, I'll go see what's going on down there."

Shamrock turned and headed for the airbase and landed immediately, as he taxied into his spot he saw a new F-15E Strike Eagle and a man with long hair and a beard, "You've got to be kidding me?" he said as he shut down the turbine.

He hopped out and climbed down looking at the man and saluting the Colonel, "Lieutenant Lambert, reporting as ordered, Colonel."

The long haired man chuckled and the Colonel smiled, "It's Captain actually, first introductions though so I'll forgive you."

Shamrock looked down at the mans hand to see a bottle of whiskey, "uhhh, Captain, are you... drunk?"

"I fly better when I'm drunk anyway," he said as he took a drink and the Colonel shrugged, "Rules come from oh high Lieutenant, not half bad once you talk to him though. He will go by Captain James Evans, take a walk with me, the Captain needs to finish inspecting his plane anyway."

Shamrock nodded and followed the Colonel, "Son, I'm going to tell it to you straight, that man there, as far as the military or the country is concerned he is the same man who fought over Gracemeria with you, we were in a tough spot, and made a deal with some people, can I trust you to keep that secret?"

Shamrock seemed confused but nodded anyway, "Yes, sir."


End file.
